What does Claudius represent in Hamlet?
Claudius. The King of Denmark, Hamlet’s uncle, and the play’s antagonist. The villain of the play, Claudius is a calculating, ambitious politician, driven by his sexual appetites and his lust for power, but he occasionally shows signs of guilt and human feeling—his love for Gertrude, for instance, seems sincere.
How does Shakespeare present Claudius?
Shakespeare presents Claudius as the plays ‘damned smiley villain’ although he does allow him some redeeming features; leading an audience to view him as a complex and contradictory figure within the play.
What are the character traits of Claudius?
Claudius is a morally weak villain who values power and material things more than he values others. He differs from other men in the play because he is cunning, lacks morals, and is manipulative. Other men in Hamlet seek justice and have strong morals that dictate their decisions.
How is Claudius manipulative?
Claudius uses people’s loyalty and makes them to follow his commands; he also mask his evilness with sincerity and fooled others’ emotions. Ultimately, Claudius’s scheming caught up with him and led to not only his downfall, but also the downfall of Denmark.
What is the purpose of Claudius speech?
He gives a speech to make his court and country proud, addressing his brother’s death and the potential conflict with Norway. Claudius knows that a change in government could ignite civil unrest, and he is afraid of possible unlawful allegiances and rebellion.
What is there in Claudius opening speech that indicates he is a manipulative leader?
The most notable aspect of the speech is Claudius’s repetition of the word “To” at the beginning of lines 87,91 and 102. The first two uses of “to” are infinitive, an impersonal construct distancing himself from the death of the prior king.
How is Claudius selfish?
He has no qualms about manipulating people, and he is unapologetically selfish. Hypocrisy barely bothers Claudius: he pretends to be a loving stepfather to Hamlet even while sending him off to be killed. Claudius doesn’t let his conscience get in the way of the job that needs to be done.
Why is Claudius evil in Hamlet?
What makes Claudius a villain is that he is wrong, and Hamlet is right. Claudius is a sneak who murdered and lied. Hamlet commits his murders in the open and suffers the pangs of his own conscience. Claudius subverts his conscience and refuses to ask for divine forgiveness.
How does Hamlet feel about Claudius?
Hamlet – Claudius Hamlet admits that Claudius is now more than a family relation but he does not like him or his actions. Hamlet doesn’t like the fact that Claudius has married his mother only weeks after his father died. Claudius also tells Hamlet not to grieve for his father so much.
How is Claudius a hypocrite?
“Claudius dares to be both a villain and a hypocrite; his heart does not smile with his face; he is guilty of murder and incest, the smile on his face hides guilt and the planning of yet more villainy in his heart.” (Bertram 141) From Claudius the audience learns the dangers of such character flaws and traits that he …
Why does Claudius give Hamlet a speech?
He was mourning the death of his beloved father and his mother’s marriage to his uncle. In Act 1 Scene 2 Claudius gives Hamlet a speech to try and get him to stop bringing up his father, probably fearing that the more the late King was talked about, or remembered, the more likely people were to look into his death.
How does Claudius kill Polonius in Hamlet?
Claudius’ sneaky and manipulative ways eventually lead to the death of Polonius at Hamlet’s hands. Instead of punishing Hamlet for Polonius’ murder himself, Claudius sent the prince to England alongside Rosencrantz and Guildenstern with letters that would arrange Hamlet’s death, making it look like an accident.
What makes Claudius such a complex villain?
King Claudius, as seen in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, is both intelligent and well-spoken, two traits that, put together, complement his manipulative and dangerous nature. In fact though, it is his conscience that makes Claudius such a complex villain.
What happened to Hamlet’s father?
The ghost of Hamlet’s father, King Hamlet, has been seen in Elsinore, now ruled by his brother, Claudius, who has quickly married his widowed queen, Gertrude. When first seen, Hamlet is aloof and skeptical of Claudius’s justifications for his actions on behalf of restoring order in the state.